Operators embark on 5G services

Viettel Construction, a subsidiary of Viettel Group, is developing over 4,000 5G stations to serve the parent company’s 5G commercialisation.

Operators embark on 5G services

On November 13, the group also announced the commercial launch of its 5G open radio access network (ORAN), featuring key equipment developed in-house.

With commercialisation, Viettel completes its end-to-end 5G product suite, covering everything from core networks to RAN elements. This solution addresses both public and private network demands, offering operators a high-quality, ORAN-compliant 5G network and fostering a sustainable vendor ecosystem.

“Viettel’s 5G ORAN solutions have achieved commercial-grade maturity after an intensive development process and rigorous testing,” said Nguyen Vu Ha, CEO of Viettel High Tech. “Qualcomm Technologies has been a pivotal collaborator on our journey towards 5G commercialisation, making substantial contributions that accelerate our network deployment in Vietnam.”

In October, Viettel became the first network operator in Vietnam to commercialise 5G services. The move was made after six months of receiving the licence to use the 2,600 MHz frequency. At the time of launching the 5G network, Viettel had more than 6,500 base transceiver stations, covering the services in all provinces, cities, industrial parks, tourist areas, seaports, airports, hospitals, and universities.

Also that month, Viettel announced to strengthen its long-term partnership with Ericsson through the award of the majority of its nationwide 5G RAN deployment. The extended partnership will see Ericsson modernise its 4G network for Viettel across the same areas.

Elsewhere, telecoms operator VNPT announced its partnership with Ericsson to deploy 5G technology, enabling VNPT to provide a strong digital infrastructure in Vietnam.

Huynh Quang Liem, CEO of VNPT, said, “Collaborating with Ericsson will enable VNPT to rapidly deploy a world-class 5G network and meet the growing demands of our customers in Vietnam, 5G will serve as the foundation that will drive Vietnam’s economic development and societal progress, thereby accelerating its journey towards becoming a digital economy.”

The rollout of VNPT’s 5G network will be implemented in Vietnam’s major cities that have a high density of VNPT mobile subscribers, dense tourism and developed enterprise/industries areas. The deployment of 5G is a crucial part of VNPT’s strategy to deliver high-quality network capabilities, enabling faster, more reliable connectivity, and meet the growing demands of its customers.

October also saw Ericsson and MobiFone sign an MoU to jointly establish a 5G Innovation Hub at MobiFone’s premises in Vietnam.

The hub will be designed as a co-creation space featuring a state-of-the-art sandbox network. It will be utilised to develop new use cases in collaboration with partners in Vietnam and other parts of the globe. Both the companies will promote the hub as a dynamic innovation environment for consumers and enterprises, and it will also support research and development.

MobiFone CEO To Manh Cuong said, “The 5G Innovation Hub will enable industries and businesses to realise the potential of 5G, its relevance to their strategic long-term planning and as an enabler for their digital transformation initiatives.”

These moves are expected to enable the network operators to benefit from new development space as 5G network enables them to develop new services so as to offset the falling revenue from traditional services.

It is estimated that they spent VND12.6 trillion ($525 million) for the rights to exploit 5G frequency. In addition to frequency rights, enterprises must also commit to deploying a network with at least 3,000 base transceiver stations after 2026, and the average internet access speed must reach 100 Mb/s.

According to the Ericsson Mobility Report from June, consumers in Asia-Pacific continue to migrate to 5G, with the increase in subscriptions being driven by more affordable devices, promotional plans, discounts, and large data bundles from service providers.

Fredrik Jejdling, EVP and head of Networks at Ericsson, said, “The report shows continued strong uptake of 5G subscriptions. Enhanced mobile broadband and fixed wireless access are the leading use cases, with signs that 5G capabilities are influencing service providers’ fixed wireless access offerings.”

Senior IT expert Hoang Viet Tien said that 5G will open up new opportunities to build modern production and models for businesses in areas such as smart cities, factories, seaports, and the digital content industry, and form new industries for Vietnamese businesses.

“It is now the right time for network operators to make gains. The sooner they move with new 5G-based services and initiatives, the bigger profit and revenue they make in the future,” he said.

Ericsson and VNPT collaborate on 5G in Vietnam Ericsson and VNPT, one of Vietnam's leading telecommunications operators, officially announced on October 10 their partnership to deploy 5G technology.

Viettel extends Ericsson partnership through major 5G network award Viettel has strengthened its long-term partnership with Ericsson through the award of the majority of its nationwide 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) deployment.

Automating ports with 5G There are around 2,000 ports in the world, and they’re vital for a well-functioning global economy. The shipping industry has experienced significant growth, but to accommodate future traffic, ports will need to become more efficient and automated.